1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal sustenance dispensing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to animal sustenance dispensing devices which are transportable within a crate or cage.
2. Background of the Related Art
Animal sustenance dispensing devices are commonly used for dispensing animal sustenance, such as food or water, to animals. Conventional dispensing devices comprise a bowl or dish upon which the sustenance is placed such that the animal has easy access to the sustenance. The bowl or dish is commonly placed in an animal containment device, such as a crate or cage, which is sometimes used to transport the animal.
A first disadvantage of conventional dispensing devices is that they are prone to spillage. When the owner attempts to transport the crate from one location to a second location, the water will often spill over the side of the bowl and dirty the crate. The owner will be inconvenienced as he must now clean the crate and whatever else has been dirtied near the crate. Alternatively, the owner may decide to empty the bowl before transporting the crate. This solution is inconvenient as well, since the owner must now worry about whether there will be an accessible supply of clean water at the second location.
A second disadvantage of conventional dispensing devices occurs where there is no supply of water at the second location. In this case, the owner must carry a separate supply of sustenance for the animal in addition to carrying the crate. Thus, for example, when the bowl is emptied either because the water has spilled over the side, or simply because the animal has consumed the water, the water must be replaced. It is burdensome for the owner to have to transport a separate water supply in addition to having to transport the animal crate itself.
A third disadvantage of conventional dispensing devices is that they must be replenished frequently and doing so often requires that the owner open up the crate many times during a given period. Thus, for example, the owner may replenish the animal's supply of water daily, each time opening up the crate. Such practice is inconvenient and may be hazardous as well if the animal is unfriendly.
Efforts to overcome these disadvantages have been hampered somewhat by the fact that animal crates are not manufactured uniformly. An important step in providing a dispensing device which is resistant to spillage is to attach the device in some manner to the crate, so as to prevent undesirable movement of the device within the crate during transport. However, because crates are not manufactured uniformly, it is difficult to make a dispensing device which can be attached to a variety of crates. Manufacturers are generally unwilling to produce a dispensing device which fits only one type of crate. Therefore, a bowl or dish is often the only choice animal owners have when equipping their animal's crate with a sustenance dispensing device.